Animal Instincts
by Catie Kerwood
Summary: When an animal is wounded saving a member of the Atlantis Team, they take it unto themselves to nurse it back to health. But when a connection between it and Ronon forms, they soon realize that it isn't as it appears.
1. I

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" Elizabeth Weir went to the control room and stood over the console. "Its Sheppard's IDC ma'am."

"Lower the shields." The invisible barrier around the Atlantis Stargate went down and Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard's four-man team stepped through the gate. Teyla and Rodney came through first and then Ronon and John carrying a…_tiger?_

"Clear a path!" John ordered as they rushed from the gate room and towards the infirmary. Elizabeth got on a comm line with Becket.

"Carson?" she asked.

"Yes Dr. Weir?"

"You're about to get a rather unusual patient in a moment."

"What are you…dear lord! Elizabeth I think you should get down here."

"I'm on my way." She shut down the comm and went to the infirmary, standing in the doorway and out of the way. The tiger had been set down on a bed and the nurses and orderlies were straining to see.

"One gunshot to the chest, lost consciousness before we went through the gate." John said and Becket started to look at the animal.

"Prep a room for surgery, we have to get this bullet out." he said and Teyla moved away from the bed where she had been holding one of the cats' large paws in her hands. Blue blood matted the white fur on the animals' front paws and around its mouth. It took John, Ronon and several orderlies to lift the tiger up again and bring it into surgery.

While Becket was working, Elizabeth took the team aside.

"You want to tell me why Carson is removing a bullet from a tiger?" she asked.

"We were about to head on back to the village when it was attacked by three Wraith wasps." Johns said. "We managed to shoot them down, two of them exploded on impact, one crash landed in the forest. By the time we got there, the Wraith had already gotten out and was in the forest."

"I was tracking him when I sensed another presence around us." Ronon said and she looked at him. "The Wraith attacked Rodney, before I could get a shot, the beast comes crashing out of the trees and tackles the Wraith, sinking its claws into his chest and ripping its throat out."

"How did it get shot?" Elizabeth asked.

"That was my fault." Rodney said and Elizabeth perked an eyebrow at him. "It was going to attack Ronon!"

"It was not. You just got jumpy." Ronon said.

"So you carried it back to the Gate and here we are." Elizabeth said.

"Here we are." John echoed.

"Tell me Dr. Weir." Teyla said. "What is it?"

"It's looks like a tiger, a large cat indigenous to Earth." She said.

"How did it get here?" Ronon asked.

"I have no idea. Maybe the Ancients brought a few with them when they left Earth." She said and Becket came out of the operating room. "That was quick."

"Aye, it was, but she's going to be fine all that same." Becket said as he removed his mask.

"She?" Ronon asked.

"Aye, the tiger is a fully grown female. She's heavily sedated, but I'm a doctor, not a veterinarian, so I don't know how long she'll be under. I suggest we get her into a holding cell as quickly as possible." He said.

"Holding cell?" Teyla asked, shocked. "Why would we put her in a holding cell?"

"Because Teyla, tigers are extremely dangerous. They've been known to attack and even eat humans." Becket said.

"But she killed a Wraith."

"The blood on her fur made me aware of that, but she's still an animal, and a lethal one at that. Tigers are the largest and deadliest of all the wild cats on Earth."

"Becket's right." Johns said. "She may have saved Rodney, but she's still dangerous. Get her into a holding cell."

_Insert line break._

Her roar echoed throughout the holding cell.

"I don't think she's happy!" John yelled over it.

"Would you be!" Elizabeth yelled back. The tiger crouched at the far corner and pounced, rebounding off the force field. The otherwise invisible shield glowed blue as she hit and shimmered for a moment before going clear again. She roared again, showing long, deadly incisors and sharp teeth. She had already ripped the cot mattress of the frame and torn it to shreds, the stuffing and material scattered on the floor in bits.

"I see she's woken up." Teyla said as she entered and the cat roared again. "I am suddenly glad she's in a holding cell." the tiger paced the cell, giving out short, angry roars every now and then at them. Rodney entered the area and she attacked the shield again, standing on two legs with her front paws on the shield, claws extended.

"How sweet! She remembers you!" John said, a smirk on his face and received a glare in return. She hopped down off the shield, her tail lashing back and forth. Ronon came into the area and she stopped pacing, sitting down very neatly and looking at him with large gold eyes.

Without a word, he went right up to the shield fearlessly and she got up, walking up to the barrier and looking at him. He went down to one knee and she sat in front of the shield, meeting him eye to eye. She got up and turned, walking away to the corner of the room and laying down. She curled up with her back to him and quickly went to sleep. Ronon stood and joined the others.

"What was that all about?" John asked but Ronon's eyes stayed on the sleeping predator.

"Its an animal thing." He said after a long moment.


	2. II

"Well I think the main question is, is how the hell are we going to feed her?" Caldwell asked. Upon returning in the Daedalus, he went straight to Weir to ask why he was hearing outlandish rumors that a tiger was being kept in a holding cell. _"This isn't a goddamn zoo!"_ he had yelled.

"Well tigers are carnivorous, yes?" Teyla asked.

"That is correct." Weir said.

"Well then, she can hunt in the forests of the mainland, there are plenty of deer and other wildlife for her to hunt." Teyla suggested.

"And have children go missing? I don't think so." Caldwell said with a snort.

"Besides, I'm not all that excited to be cooped up with a hungry tiger for three hours in a small puddle jumper." Sheppard said.

"Then perhaps Ronon would go with you? His presence seems to calm her." Teyla said and they looked around for the said Satedan. "Where _is_ Ronon?"

Ronon sat against the wall opposite of the holding cell, his head leaning against the wall. The tiger was still asleep, her chest rising and falling steadily with her breathing. She opened one bleary golden eye as the door opened and got up when she saw them enter.

"Ya hungry?" Sheppard asked and she yawned, showing her teeth. She stretched with her body bowed down and her front paws extended.

"She is." Ronon said from the floor and he looked down at him.

"Knew you'd be here. Come on, we're going to the mainland, and she's coming with us."

"Why we going to the mainland?" he asked as he got up.

"She's gotta eat. We decided that we're gonna let her hunt in the forests." John swiped his hand across the sensor and the shield shone for a moment before falling. The tiger walked out of the holding cell leisurely and up to Ronon. She looked up at him for a second before going to the door and looking back at them.

People gave them wide berth as they made their way to the docking bay, but she gave them no mind and walked beside John and Ronon almost lazily. She stopped only once to growl at Rodney, letting him know that she remembered who shot her before padding ahead of them. When they got the docking bay, she instantly ran up into a puddle jumper and hopped into the captains' chair.

"That's my chair." John said and she pushed the chair around with her paw against the center consul to face the main controls. She looked at them and they came to life, a holograph of the base coming up in front of them. The controls came out and the engines started up, the back hatch raising. John and Ronon took seats and stared in wonder as the tiger piloted the puddle jumper out of the docking bay and out onto the ocean.

"John, its Elizabeth." John got out of his chair and went to the comms.

"Sheppard here." he said.

"Who's piloting the jumper? I had a technician just come to me and say that you and Ronon were at the back of the jumper when it started up."

"The tiger is piloting."

"The tiger."

"Yes ma'am. Is it possible for an animal to have the Ancient Gene?"

"I don't know, when you get back Becket can run some tests…" the tiger gave out a low growl. "Or maybe not." Weir said, her voice tight.

"Maybe there's something in the archives, like an Ancestor started to do animal testing. Have him search them and see what he can find." Ronon said.

"Sounds like a good idea Ronon." She said and John gave out a small yell. "John? What happened?"

"She's making jumper swing from side to side, I swear she's smiling." He said.

"Miss Tiger, please try to bring them back in one piece." Elizabeth said, amusement accenting her voice.

"I don't like the look in her eyes. I'm gonna sit down now. Sheppard out." John said and the tiger looked at the comms, they went dark. John strapped down in a seat just as the jumper accelerated and went into a barrel roll, skimming the water. It ascended suddenly and then dove down, pulling up just before it hit the water. "You know those roller coasters I told you about Ronon?"

"Yeah?"

"It's kinda like this."

"This is fun!" the puddle jumper stayed steady long enough for him to go up to the front and sit in the co-pilots seat, strapping himself down again. He looked over and noticed the tiger's body was tense, her claws dug into the seat. He unstrapped himself and very cautiously strapped her in, watching her body relax. She ran her wide, rough tongue along his cheek as he secured the harness and let him pet the top of her head before he went back to the co-pilots' chair and sitting back down, strapping back in. The jumper went into another roll and he gave out an excited yell. It gained altitude before heading down at a steep dive, it pulled up and did a large loop in the sky, the bottom skimming along the top of the waves. She calmed down after a while and the rest of the trip was mercifully uneventful. She landed the jumper in a clear field and the back hatch descended as the engines were powering down. The moment Ronon unstrapped her she was out of the hatch and loping into the surrounding forests.

"Think we should wait here?" John asked as they leaned against the outside of the jumper.

"_You_ can wait here, this is something I want to see." Ronon said and ran into the forests before John could warn him that a tiger when it's hunting is probably when it's most dangerous.

Ronon ran silently through the thick trees, catching glimpses of orange every now and then through the foliage. He also saw deer running through the trees as they sensed that something deadly had entered their area. Then, near a watering hole, a large male deer was drinking, its head down and eyes closed. Ronon silently climbed the tree overlooking the hole and looked down, seeing the tiger slinking silently through the brush. The deer froze, its head coming up and ears perking. The tiger stilled, her body down low to the ground. The deer bent its' head back down to continue drinking and Ronon watched as the tiger did a weird sort of wiggle and pounced. The deer tried to take off at the sound but the tiger was already on it, her jaws clamped around its neck and claws dug into its back, bringing it down the ground.

The deer made several strangled bleating sounds, its' legs kicking in futile attempt to free itself. Its eyes glazed over as it died and the tiger loosed it grip on its neck and began to feed, ripping open the stomach and pulling out the internal organs. It had been all over in only a couple moments, but left him with his eyes wide and his chest heaving. He hadn't been prepared for the raw savagery of the kill. He could have dealt with her ripping the deer's throat like she did the Wraith's, but she had suffocated it with her own jaws, crushing its windpipe with her teeth. He hadn't been prepared for the slow, silent death.

The sound of tearing flesh jerked him back to his senses and he climbed down from the tree, walking slowly back to the jumper, breathing deep even breaths. Sheppard was still leaning against the side when he got back and sat down on the ramp, his elbows resting on his knees.

"You all right?" John asked, but Ronon didn't look at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said and went silent.


	3. III

The trip back was made in silence. John was piloting as the tiger sat in back, cleaning her claws. Ronon was lost in thought the entire way back to Atlantis and left the jumper without a word the moment it was okay for him to leave. He was silent during the debriefing and ignored anyone who tried to talk to him. The tiger was deemed not a threat to the people on the base and was given quarters. Teyla had proposed that she live in the forests of the mainland, but after Weir told Becket what had happened with the puddle jumper, the Scottish doctor wanted to keep a close eye on her. Ronon skipped dinner, his stomach clenching at the mere mention of food and went straight to his quarters, pacing in the small room for hours, his muscles quivering with tension. He at last decided to go for a run along the flies that go along the ceilings of the base.

As he ran, his mind kept going back to the scene in the forest. He could still hear the strangled bleat of the deer and the wet ripping sound as the tiger tore open its stomach. He ran faster along the walkways, but a new sound joined the sound of his boots on the metal. Something soft and almost inaudible, it stopped when he did and he listened closely to his surroundings, but there was only silence. He started to run and the sound was back, this time behind him. He looked over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of luminescent green eyes in the shadows. He looked forward and ran. The platforms shook as whatever was chasing him took off again. He could feel it getting closer, almost feel its' breath. He stopped and turned to face it and was tackled to the ground, the tiger was crouched above him, her paws square on his shoulders. Her breath still smelled of blood and meat and she looked down at him with curiously intelligent gold eyes.

The tiger moved her paws from his shoulders to the floor under him and lay down on him, her face in the bend of his neck. He very cautiously put his arms around her massive body and stroked her silken fur, feeling the muscles beneath. Her chest pressed against his with every breath she took and they fell into a kind of rhythm. Every time she exhaled he inhaled so they moved with each other instead of against each other. He could feel her heavy heartbeat against his chest, strong and rhythmic. His own heart fell into step with hers and he almost physically felt the connection that had been forming between them snap into place like two pieces of the same puzzle.

After a while she got up, and he was hit by a sudden chill that made him shiver as the warmth of her body vanished. Ronon got up off the floor and she walked beside him as he went back to his quarters. She left him at the door and broke into a jog to get back to her own, the pads on her paws making her almost completely silent on the metal floors. He went into his quarters after watching her vanish into the shadows and lay on his bed, quickly falling to sleep. His mind, once again, at ease.

She was waiting for him outside his quarters when he left them the next morning and he gently touched her head as he went past. She followed as he went to the mess hall to get breakfast. He gave no notice to the people staring as he got his food and went to a table, sitting down and starting to eat. The tiger sat down on the floor next to him after smelling his food and giving it a disinterested shrug that made him smile.

"It may not be deer, but its food." He said and she sat still as a stone as he ate, the only movement coming from her being her eyes as she watched the people walk past. She gave out a low growl as Rodney walked past and he jumped away from her, her eyes narrowed at him as she watched him almost run out of the mess hall. "You're never gonna forgive him for shooting you in the chest, are you." she gave him a look that told her answer and he snorted. "Didn't think so." Elizabeth showed up in the hall and went straight to their table.

"Hello Ronon, Miss Tiger." She said, looking at them and they nodded at her in unison. She saw this and her smile widened. "I see you two are getting along."

"We've come to an understanding." Ronon said.

"And that is…"

"She's an animal, and she has to do what she has to do to survive."

"Well that's good. You looked a little spooked when you guys got back yesterday, had us worried. You're supposed to be the unspookable."

"I'm fine now."

"So I can see. And by the way Ronon, you were right."

"About what?"

"Becket did some digging in the Ancient archives and it turns out, when the Ancients were at war with the Wraith, a couple scientists started to do experiments on animals. Trying to get it so they would have the Ancient gene. Tigers were among the animals to be experimented on." Elizabeth said.

"Why would they do that?" he asked.

"A scientist made several journal entries stating that the animals who successfully acquired the gene were then paired with a military leader. So think about it Ronon, the Ancients were at war at that time."

"If a leader was injured, his or her animal could pilot a jumper or cruiser to safety or continue to fight." Ronon said and she nodded.

"Exactly. Rather ingenious, if I do say so myself. So our Lady Tiger here is probably a descendant of one of the tigers that were tested on."

"So why does she and I get along so well? I don't have the Ancestor gene."

"No, but you are a native of this galaxy, that probably has something to do with it."

"So is Teyla."

"Yes, but our feline friend chose _you,_ Ronon. Think about that. Now I would love to stay and talk more, but I just remembered the mountain of paperwork that has to be done." She went to walk away, but froze and turned back to them. "I almost forgot, I'm having a jumper prepped to go to the mainland. She's gonna need to hunt again."

"Okay." Ronon said and she gave them a small smile before walking off.

He stayed with the jumper this time with John as she went out hunting. He watched her disappear into the forest, blending in quickly despite her orange, black, and white fur. A couple hours later and she still didn't emerge from the trees.

"She should have come out by now." Ronon said, standing from his seat on the ramp.

"She's probably still eating." John said but he didn't sound very convinced of his own words.

"You don't believe that, do you?"

"No, I don't." he said and they went into the forest. They weren't twenty feet into the trees when they came across the eaten carcass of a deer, the flies had found it and the smell of decomp was heavy in the heated air. The abdominal cavity had been cleaned out; white ribs gleamed in the light coming through the trees. The neck had been ripped open and shining red blood stained the ground. The deer's eyes were still open and glazed over in death. "Don't know what I was expecting. Bare bones maybe, not this." John said as he looked down at the carcass.

"She's just an animal Sheppard." Ronon said.

"I know, but she acts so human sometimes." A human scream split the air and they took off towards the sound. There was crashing among the trees, the snarl of an animal and the familiar roar of their tiger. They came to a clearing and froze seeing the large bear-like creature up on its hind legs. The tiger was in front of it, and a small child was behind her curled into a fetal ball. "Ronon! Get the kid!" John ordered and Ronon tried, but the order had alerted the creature to their presence and it turned on them, suddenly disinterested in the tiger and the child. It roared and started to swing. There was a feline roar and the animal was knocked to the ground as the tiger pounced on it, her teeth set into its neck. It knocked her off almost effortlessly and she collided heavily with a tree, falling to the ground and staying still.

Seeing her lying there on the ground unmoving set fire boiling in Ronon's veins. A red film dropped over his vision and he removed his long blade from its sheath on his back. He slashed at the animal, which had gotten to its feet and knocked it back with a spray of blood. He dodged blows from its paws and dove past it, dragging the blade over its stomach through fur, skin, fat and the thin membrane underneath. Its skin opened and steaming organs spilled out onto the ground. It fell onto the forest floor and Ronon got to his feet, going up behind it and placing the tip of his blade on the back of its neck. With one strong push, he pushed it through to bury the tip into the dirt. He jerked the blade out and slipped it back into the sheath after cleaning it off the best he could with a leaf. His eyes went to the tiger that was still laying unnaturally still and he went to her, kneeling next to her and laying his hand flat on her side.

He could hear John behind him picking up the crying child and starting to reassure the young boy. The villagers started to stream into the clearing, probably drawn by the sounds. They froze at the sight of the bear-creatures eviscerated corpse. A woman, probably the boy's mother, came forward and took him out of John's arms, sobbing loudly with relief. John started to tell the villagers what happened but Ronon tuned him out, his eyes still on the tiger lying in front of him. Her chest rose and fell faintly and when he put his ear to her chest he could hear her heart beating, though weakly. Her eyes opened weakly and she looked at him. Her heart gave out one large beat that shook her body and fell into its normal rhythm. Her chest expanded as she took in a deep breath and she got to her feet, weaving slightly. He put his arm around her shoulders to steady her and she leaned against him. The villagers left the clearing and John came over to him.

"She okay?" he asked.

"I think she will be."


	4. Message

Wondering why this story hasn't been updated in like forever

Wondering why this story hasn't been updated in like _forever?_

See my profile for details!


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